Back to Basics

I want to go back to basics. I want to give up this materialistic, misery inducing life and go to my village and start farming....erm or may be organic vegetable gardening. (Its time Orissa got its due anyway.) You guys can send me my monthly rations of Lush, Body Shop, and chota-mota gadgets that I might need from time to time. With time, I'll get over those too. As it is I’ve given up a lot of things. Like you, my loyal readers will rightly remember my tryst with the very fragrant Keo Karpin Body oil. I’ll soon out grow all this.

Dad has been waiting for mum to signal yes, just once. And I know in no time he’ll pack lock stock and barrel and head straight to Kanachchanda, my native place. Oh, it’ll be so grand to live together once again. (And right now it is annoying me no end to know Kanachchanda is not listed on Wikipedia, even under villages of Jajpur district, Orissa.) What of my family? Oh well, SHE can follow her mother if she wants to and HE can really stay back in Sydney and attend barbeques and watch ‘House’.

While, I walk on the banks of the river Kharasrata, have moonlit dinners on the ancestral home’s terrace, cook straight out of a chulha , and live happily ever after. No magazines to lure me, no shopping malls to bring out the Lucifer in me, and no more friendship requests on Facebook.

And I really believe I can do this, and do it well at that. And maybe , maybe, one day, I’ll be the queen of organic farming and both, Orissa and I, will get the much deserved attention and admiration, we’ve been craving for in a long long time.

(Back to Basics KG, Limited edition)

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Sharmila said…
Our recent visit to Orissa has my husband desparately wanting to go and settle there. Every time I see the simplicity of life and the people there, my heart swells with pride. Yes, I want to go back and settle down in my hometown too ... grow kumro and pui and eat kolmi saag to my full. :-)
May 26, 2010 2:35 PM
The Ketchup Girl said…
Sharmila, hi :). I think this feeling has a lot to do with ageing - Not that we are old or at the verge of retirement, but i think a certain level of maturity does it to us. When in one of our hmmm moments, we try and reason with life. orissa is beautiful indeed. And i really wish I could do something there, instead of grumbling and all this wishful thinking from thousands of miles away. I'm trying to grow my own Kumro in my backyard here in Sydney, but Pui has to wait. In my next visit to India I am going to smuggle in Pui seeds. :). BTW, which part of orissa did you visit?
May 27, 2010 6:41 AM
Anonymous said…
ha ha ha... what an awesome post.. Some of it I understand... as my hubby's always wanting to go back to basics... and do organic farming in his village... But when he goes there for a month for hols... he cant put up with the people... or the things around him.. and decides its best to live his gadget filled life... :-)

As for me... I'm a simple being... just happy anywhere *grin* What say???
May 27, 2010 9:44 AM
Joe Pinto said…
My dear KG,

Thank you for the beautiful card. I am writing a proper aerogram so that you can read it and keep it in a file.

My best wishes for your back to basics campaign. I suggest a small technique.

Everytime you go out shopping carry a small book in which you list all the things that catch your eye, BUT you do not need and hence will not buy.

This exercise will strenghten your "back to basics" resolve. Slowly you will find your body is in Sydney but your heart and mind will be in Orissa. You will have recreated Orissa in Australia.

Our Earth, dear KG, is the only one.

Peace and love,
- Joe.
May 27, 2010 1:31 PM
Unknown said…
I was talking about this with my close friend the other day...about going back to basics. I agree with you that it is the age..but I think for me its also the way of life..everything seems the same routine, moving fast, without a break..that you just want to come to a screeching halt and take a break.I think I am more willing to make a drastic change now than any other time in my life..even if it means quitting my job and moving to our village.
May 27, 2010 10:21 PM
Sharmila said…
I think you are right ... after a while we all look for some laid back time. Other than home, we try to visit a few places on every trip. So have covered Bhubaneswar, Puri, Chilka, Chandipur etc. Really want to go into the interiors for the jungles and backwaters and waterfalls but have always been discouraged as those are troublesome areas. Would love to interact with the tribals one day. :-)
Pui seeds .. I was duped ... all that grew out of them were weeds .. but very sturdy I must say. :-) So got around 20 saplings this time and around 9 have survived. Hope have some pui chorchori in a couple of months.
Great to know you and your blog! :-)
May 28, 2010 12:52 AM
Devi said…
Gosh!!..I can so much relate to this feeling...I still think post retirement me is going to open a exotic Ayurvedic Spa near the beach in my village...and sometimes seriously I feel like giving up everything and becoming a farmer...:)
May 28, 2010 1:16 PM
indranil said…
at face value looks idealistic and exciting but some how i still feel its all misplaced romanticism
June 07, 2010 2:55 PM
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